^®: CRE Regulatory Action of the Week

CMS Seeks Comment on Rules Changing Medicare Payment System
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, of the Department of Health and Human Services, have published final rules with a comment period implementing the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015. This Act repealed the Medicare sustainable growth rate methodology for updates to the physician fee schedule and replaced it with a new approach to payment called the Quality Payment. CMS' final rule with comment period makes several major changes in the current Medicare system, including the establishment of incentives for participation in certain alternative payment models. It also includes the criteria for use by the Physician Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee in making comments and recommendations on physician-focused payment models. This final rule with comment period also establishes the MIPS, a new program for certain Medicare-enrolled practitioners. To be assured consideration, comments must be received by CMS no later than 5 p.m. on December 19, 2016.